For the fourth episode of Commonsense Conversations, Senator Manka Dhingra met with CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Renee Hopkins to discuss the urgency of gun violence prevention action in light of recent shootings in Atlanta and Seattle. 

In regards to the March 16th shooting in Atlanta that killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, Senator Dhingra discusses the intersection between gun violence and hate crimes. “Hate crimes are not only horrific acts of violence that affect individuals, victims, and families,” she said “They are a poison to civil society by making a whole community feel unwelcome”. The connection between gun violence and white supremacy has become much more prevalent in recent years, and Senator Dhingra highlights the need to continue to be proactive on this issue. 

Senator Dhingra and Renee also discuss the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention and the importance of taking a public health approach to addressing gun violence. Senator Dhingra mentions that the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention is about “making informed decisions and also preventing gun violence, not just reacting after the fact.” Data reveals that certain communities are disproportionately affected by gun violence; Therefore, creative solutions and resources must be provided. 

We hope that Commonsense Conversations will be an engaging and informative way for our community to learn more about our work and how you can get involved. We’ll host as many as possible through Facebook Live on the Alliance for Gun Responsibility page. You can also access an audio version here if you are feeling a little video’d out. Keep an eye out for new episodes and you can see ALL of our episodes here!

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–Samantha Eden is the Legislative Organizing Fellow at the Alliance